Prophet/seer Zarathûštrá equated the “spirit, energy, mind, mood, temperament and disposition” of godhood with “goodness, betterment and brilliance.”
Zarathûštrá called this “brilliant disposition” vôhü manö – also vaηhéuš man.aηhö, vôhü man.aηhá, manas-čá vôhü and vaηhéuš manyéuš or manyéuš vaηhéuš (aη pronounced as ang.)
Zoroastrianism ONLY sees godhood in “goodness, brilliance and betterment,” in the “wondrous Good Spirit/Energy/Mind Power” as it reveals itself in man, nature and the universe.
Vôhü manö consist out of manö from ménos/man “mind energy/power of the spirit,” or “intuitive inspiration, courage and passion to energize.”
In the poetic gathas the root ménos/man comes about 260 times and vôhü manö “good instinct, superb sense, good intuitive mind” more than 130 times.
Mallory/Adams, Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture, p. 438 states that “the spiritual property of the hero is embedded in the concept of *menes– “ mind energy/power of the spirit” that motivates and enables the hero to accomplish great deeds (Courtesy of Didier Calin.)
Avestan vôhü manö is equivalent to reconstructed Proto Indo European wósu ménos, wésu ménos.
While there is NO divine *vásu mánas– in Vedic, there is in fact a personal name Vasu-manas– and mythologically Avestan vôhü manö– can be compared with a class of Vedic god beings, known as the vasus (vásavaḥ), “the good or superb Ones.”
Vásavaḥ represent the active principle of “goodness, boon and brilliance” (See Didier Calin, Dictionary of Indo-European Poetic Themes, u. entry ‘spirit’ good.)
Also Greek attests both a person’s name Euménēs and the expression ménos ēú “good spirit,” that is an exact equivalent of vôhü manö “to understand/achieve by good instinct, higher sense, intuit.”
Vôhü, vásu, vesu, wisi/visi, eús “superb, good, brilliant,” appears frequently in divine, personal and tribal names among different Indo European people e.g Gaul divine name Vesu-avus, Latin goddess Vesuna, Celtic divine name Esus, and the Germanic tribal Visi.goths “the good or superb goths” (See Didier Calin, Dictionary of Indo-European Poetic Themes, u. entry ‘spirit’ good.)
In the Avestan sacred verse, vôhü manö is masculine. It is so because in Indo European sacred poetry certain neuter singulars turn into god beings or god powers by being given the masculine (or active, animate) form.
In ancient Zoroastrian literature vôhü manö is associated with the powers of the Moon, the Soul/Consciousness of the Animal Life and intense feelings of Bliss.
MOON represents “the realm between the conscious and the subconscious, deep-rooted feelings, sensations and instincts.”
The CONSCIOUSNESS/SOUL OF THE ANIMALS is mentioned in the first verse of the poetic gathas (See Yasna 28.1, 3rd rhymed verse line.) The emphasis here again is on “subconscious instincts and intuitive wisdom of the animal soul.”
In the most sacred ahü vairyö “will to become godlike” all “manifestation/formation, creation and/or the action of establishing something” dazdá is through the “brilliant disposition, good intuitive mind, good spirit/energy” vaηhéuš man.aηhö. (aη pronounced as ang)
vaηhéuš dazdá man.aηhö
Yasna 28 is the first hymn of the gathic poetry and a summary of the entire gathic sacred song/verse.
In Yasna 28.1, 3rd rhymed verse line, through the exceptional creativity, genius ḵratü of good intuitive mind vaηhéuš man.aηhö, the delightful knowledge ḵšnû of the soul/consciousness of animal life géuš ûrvá is gained.
vaηhéuš ḵratüm man.aηhö//ýá ḵšnevîšá géuš.čá ûrvánem
(In ancient Indo European poetry, the soul of the cow géuš ûrvá represents the soul of all animal life. Géuš can be compared to Greek gaia.
Avestan ḵratü “exceptional creative power, genius” is a cognate of Homeric term krátos “unmatched superiority.)
In Yasna 28.2, 1st rhymed verse line, any passageway or coming to pairî-jasái the supreme godhood Mazdá Ahûrá is through “brilliant disposition and good intuitive mind, higher sense” vôhü man.aηhá.
ýé váv mazdá ahûrá// pairî-jasái vôhü man.aηhá
In Yasna 28.3, 1st rhymed verse line, the “good intuitive mind/brilliant disposition” is called apaôurvîm. The Avestan term apaôurvîm is equivalent to Vedic apauruṣeya “without beginning, timeless, boundless, infinite” an epithet of supreme beings and uncreated wisdom.
Here, the prophet/poet “weaves” ûfyánî sacred verses to “excellence, superb artistry, cosmic order” ašá/arthá and TIMELESS, “brilliant energy, good intuitive mind” manas.čá vôhü.
ýé váv ašá ûfyánî//man.as.čá vôhü apaôurvîm
In the poetic gathas and Zoroastrianism, evil is “limited, beaten and deficient spirit, energy and mind power.” While immortals are “boundless, limitless, vibrant spirit, inexhaustible passion, mind energy.”
In Yasna 28.4, 1st rhymed verse line, “the higher sense/good intuitive mind” vôhü man.aηhá takes the soul, consciousness ûrván to the abode of music/songs gairæ and heaven of inspiring ideas méñ dadæ.
ýé ûrvánem méñ gairæ//vôhü dadæ hathrá man.aηhá
In Yasna 28.5, 1st rhymed verse line, superb artistry of the cosmic order ašá/arthá is discerned daresánî through the wisdom/knowledge vaædemnö of “brilliant disposition, good intuitive mind” manas.čá vôhü.
ašá kat thwá daresánî//man.as.čá vôhü vaædemnö
In Yasna 28.6, 1st rhymed verse line, through the entrance, coming gaidî of good intuitive mind/spirit vôhü man.aηhá, a long life dareg.áyü of excellence, divine artistry ašá/arthá is granted.
vôhü gaidî man.aηhá//dáidî ašá- dáv dareg.áyü
In Yasna 28.7, 1st rhymed verse line, the riches ašî of the cosmic order/divine artistry ašá/arthá are granted through the discovery power áyaptá of good intuitive mind vaηhéuš man.aηhö.
dáidî ašá tãm ašîm//vaηhéuš áyaptá man.aηhö
In Yasna 28.8, 3rd rhymed verse line, the noble seer/prophet talks of remarkable accomplishment through all the ages of vîspái ýavæ brilliant spirit, good intuitive mind vaηhéuš man.aηhö.
ýaæib.yas.čá ît rávaη.aηhöi//vîspái ýavæ vaηhéuš man.aηhö
In Yasna 28.9, 2nd rhymed verse line, there is reference to the spiritual warfare ýöithemá and praise stütãm of the best intuitive sense/mind man.as.čá vahištem.
man.as.čá hyat vahištem//ýöi vé ýöithemá dasemæ stütãm
In Yasna 28.10, 1st rhymed verse line, to have wisdom, insight vöistá of cosmic order/artistry ašá/arthá is through manifestation, establishing dáthéñg of good, intuitive mind vaηhéuš man.aηhö.
at ýéñg ashá.at.čá vöistá//vaηhéuš.čá dáthéñg man.aηhö
In Yasna 28.11, 1st rhymed verse line, observing, eye âiš excellence, and safeguarding, protecting pávaηhaæ the cosmic order ašá/arthá is through the infinite ages ýavaæ.táitæ of brilliant spirit, good intuitive mind man.as.čá vôhü.
ýé âiš ašem ni.pávaηhaæ//man.as.čá vôhü ýavaæ.táitæ
In conclusion, I shall emphasize that Avestan vôhü manö exemplifies “goodness and betterment” and is in essence “good instinct, superb intuitive sense/mind and invisible powers of subconscious.”
ardeshir
